Coordinates: 57°36′00″N 3°37′00″W / 57.59999°N 3.61673°W
| Forres | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Farrais | |
  Forres
 Forres shown within Scotland |
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| Population | 8,967 (Census 2001) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Council area | Moray |
| Lieutenancy area | Moray |
| Constituent country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | FORRES |
| Postcode district | IV36 |
| Dialling code | 01309 |
| Police | Grampian |
| Fire | Grampian |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| European Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Moray |
| Scottish Parliament | Moray |
| Highlands and Islands | |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
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Forres (Gaelic: Farrais), is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions.[1] There are many geographical and historical attractions nearby such as the River Findhorn, and there are many historical artifacts and monuments within the town itself[citation needed].
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Brief history and overview
Forres is thought to be the "Varris" shown on maps by Ptolemy almost 2,000 years ago. There was a royal castle there from at least 900 AD and in around 1140 AD it became a royal burgh. Royal burghs were founded by the Kings of Scots of the 12th century to encourage trade and economic improvement. The local abbey was plundered by Wolf of Badenoch.
On 23 June 1496 King James IV of Scotland issued a Royal Charter laying down the rights and privileges which the town's people are believed to have held by an earlier charter since the reign of King David I some 300 years earlier.
Forres has grown in recent years and now has almost 9,000 inhabitants.[2] Sitting between the floodplain of the River Findhorn and the wooded slopes of Cluny and Sanquhar Hills, Forres is well known for its award winning floral sculptures and is steeped in local history and traditions. There are a number of bars and pubs, including The Newmarket, The Red Lion, The Beastie, The Mosset Tavern, and The Carlton Hotel.
The town is the location of Sueno's Stone, an enormous carved stone, probably created by Picts to commemorate a battle against Norse invaders. Brodie Castle lies near the town.
Shakespeare's play Macbeth locates Duncan's castle here . Macbeth's castle was located at Inverness.
The town has a network of footpaths that have been established and waymarked by the Forres Footpaths Trust in recent years.[3]
Forres has also just completed a multi-million pound flood prevention scheme at Chapletonmoss and in front of the Mosset Tavern in the town centre.
Parliamentary burgh
Forres was a parliamentary burgh, combined with Inverness, Fortrose and Nairn, in the Inverness Burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. The constituency was abolished in 1918 and the Forres and Nairn components were merged into the then new constituency of Moray and Nairn.
Transport
Forres is situated on the A96 trunk route connecting the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness. The River Findhorn was originally crossed by fording near Waterford Farm. A Suspension Bridge was opened in 1831 to cross the river at the west end of the town. This bridge was replaced by the current bridge in 1938. Due to high volumes of traffic passing through the town centre, a bypass was built in the late 1980s to reduce congestion in the town centre. The A980 connects Forres with Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore and the south directly without the requirement of driving via Inverness. The B9011 connects Forres to RAF Kinloss and Findhorn Bay. Findhorn is well known for its beach, boats and is home to the Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual community.
Forres railway station is situated just outside of the town and is operated by First ScotRail. The town of Forres was once a junction in the Highland Railway network, travelling through Forres was once the quickest route to reach Inverness from the south. Originally the station had three platforms — two operating in the direction of Inverness and Aberdeen and a third operating a service to Grantown-on-Spey, a service which was closed in the 1960s and now forms part of The Dava Way, a scenic footpath connecting the two towns.[4]
Inverness Airport is approximately 30 minutes away by road and provides links mainly to other airports within the UK.
Education
- Anderson's Primary School, High Street (state primary school)
- Applegrove Primary School, Orchard Road (state primary school)
- Pilmuir Primary School, Pilmuir Road (state primary school)
- Forres Academy, Burdsyard Road (state secondary school)
- Moray Steiner School, Drumduan House, Clovenside Road (private school for 5–16-year-olds)
Sport
Forres has a host of various sporting activities within it including Forres Golf Course, which has held the Scottish Young Professionals championships a number of times.[5] It also plays host to Highland Football League team, Forres Mechanics and Junior club Forres Thistle. Forres Harriers is the local running club with around 80 members.[6] The most famous Harrier is Don Ritchie who at one time held 14 World Best Times for ultra distance running events ranging from 50 km to 200 km.[7]
Town twinning
References
- ^ "Forres in Bloom" ForresinBloom.co.uk
- ^ "Scotland's Census Results Online" SCROl.gov.uk
- ^ "Forres Footpaths Trust" ForresFootpathsTrust.org.uk
- ^ "Tourist Information — Walks and Cycling" Moray.gov.uk
- ^ "Welcome to Forres Golf Club" ForresGolfClub.co.uk
- ^ "Welcome to the Forres Harriers Website" ForresHarriers.org.uk
- ^ "A Brief Club History" ForresHarriers.org.uk
External links
- Forres Web — official town website
- The Forres Gazette — local newspaper
- Census data
- grid reference NJ035585
- Falconer Museum
- Alexander Carrick — war memorial sculptor
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